By now you probably think you’ve heard it all. Somehow, though, distracted Pokémon Go hunters continue to amaze us with their antics.
Released on July 6, Pokémon Go has an estimated 75 million downloads worldwide. So now we can add it to the long list of hazardous distractions that already plaque our streets and highways, including everything from talking on the phone, texting, shooting photos or videos, eating, even shaving and applying makeup.
In the month of July alone, 74 Pokémon Go-related incidents were reported in the U.S. Some of those involve crimes, such as robbery- which also makes a great case for paying attention to your surroundings. Nearly a dozen, however, involve injuries caused by distractions while driving and walking.
To help illustrate the level of distraction posed by Pokémon Go, you need to have a basic understanding of how the game is played. For anyone unfamiliar with it, Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game for your smart phone. It necessitates fairly constant attention to your screen in order to catch new Pokémon in the real world around you. The app uses a previously designed location-based augmented reality game to draw users to art installments, historical sites, and other real world points of interest. These locations are used as Pokestops for collecting supplies, or Gyms for battling other players.
As if good old fashioned distractions weren’t enough, players are drawn to real world locations that already have a large volume of car and foot traffic, increasing the chances for a collision exponentially. Additionally, lures can be placed at these Pokestop locations which summon more players, thus exacerbating the potential for disaster.
Further Reading: Minor Impacts Can Lead to Major Injuries
Read any documented research and you’ll see that Americans don’t need any more distractions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that distracted driving is responsible for 8 deaths and over 1,000 additional injuries every day. Motorists in their 20s are responsible for 38 percent of fatal distracted driving crashes caused by cell phone use, while that same age group accounts for only 23 percent of licensed drivers in this country. According to a Forbes survey, nearly half- 46 percent- of Pokémon Go players are ages 18-29, which, based on NHTSA data, is the prime age for distraction.
It can be argued that there are many benefits associated with the game. It has, after all, gotten people off the couch and into the fresh air, it has focused a renewed interest in local historical sites, and has fostered a sense of community by bringing strangers together for a common goal.
These benefits, however, become marred when the game is not played responsibly, or people allow distractions to get in the way of common sense. If you’re out playing the game, do so cautiously. Stay aware of your surroundings and always watch out for someone else who may not be.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car or pedestrian accident in Broomfield, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, or anywhere in Colorado, it is important to contact our experienced personal injury attorneys immediately. At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., our committed personal injury lawyers are dedicated to the belief that everyone deserves justice. Contact us at (303) 423-1770 or (866) 385-3505.
Our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims in Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Longmont, and throughout Colorado.
At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., we are honored to help accident victims in their time of need, and take our responsibility as personal injury lawyers incredibly seriously. We know how important it is for victims to secure the full and fair compensation they need following a serious accident, and that is why we take a hands-on, personalized approach to every case we handle.
awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries. Read More
awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement. Read More
awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier. Read More
settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air. Read More
settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager. Read More
awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job. Read More
settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit. Read More
settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino. Read More
awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident. Read More
$1,250,000.00 –awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries.
$1,200.000.00 –awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis.
$450,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement.
$425,000 –awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier.
$300,000.00 –settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air.
$300,000.00 –settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager.
$250,000.00 –awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job.
$250,000.00 –settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit.
$150,000.00 –settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury.
$125,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino.
$75,000.00 –awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident.
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10:36 pm
August 15th, 2016